Helghan Empire
The Helghan Empire is the autocratic governing body on planet Helghan, ruling over the Helghast people. They are the main antagonists of the Killzone series. The founder and first ruler of the Empire was Autarch Scolar Visari, who was succeeded by Admiral Orlock, the Helghast Military Commander, following the battle of Pyrrhus City, invasion of Visari Palace and his death. Overview The formation of the Helghan Empire occurred some time after the First Extrasolar War against the ISA and UCN. Helghast leaders, including Scolar Visari, continue to impose the belief that the Helghast race is superior to humanity, creating not only intense distrust, but also an expanding hatred of UCN, ISA, and any form of friendly foreign interaction. Ironically, they think of themselves as the race who should be ruling the perceived "lesser" human race. History Following the First Extrasolar War, the Helghan Corporation was dismantled and all its assets seized by the UCN. Vekta, once a planetary holding of the now-defunct Helghan Corporation, was turned over to direct ISA rule, and colonists from Earth were brought in to supplement Vekta's corporate-affiliated population. However, tensions soon rose between the Earth minority and Helghan corporate majority, resulting in Helghan resistance fighters targeting and killing many Earth-loyal citizens in terrorist attacks. This forced the ISA governor to enact more and more economic sanctions and military punishments on the Helghan-affiliated colonists in retribution for the Helghan persecution of Earth-loyal colonists. In the face brutal retaliatory draconian laws and punishments, the Helghan loyalists eventually stopped their persecution of Earth-loyal colonists. By 2220, all Helghan corporate colonists had chosen voluntary relocation to planet Helghan, where years of hardship awaited them. In order to leave for Helghan, they purchased and refurbished the original colony ships they had used to reach Alpha Centuri. Since neither the UCN or ISA wanted to fund this new colonization attempt, they were then declared to be a sovereign nation, with Helghan being their territory in perpetuity, while being subject to an ISA blockade until otherwise stated by the UCN. The Helghan settlements recreated the former Helghan Authority to rule over all affairs on Helghan, but this rule was often inefficient and corrupt. Their Helghan colonists' human bodies were also mutated by the harsh environment of Helghan, resulting in most of the first generation dying only a short while after they arrived in the system. However, by 2305, future generations had evolved an increased biological resistance to the harsh atmospheric conditions, some even discarding the common breathing masks that many colonists still relied upon. In 2330, Helghan was hit by a major economic depression, allowing Scolar Visari to rise to power. In 2347 Visari staged a successful coup against the ruling Helghan Administration, which declared him the "Autarch". He created the more sophisticated Helghast ideology based on Helghan superiority. He re-established hostilities with the ISA in his bid to retake Vekta and exact revenge on the UCN, and this conflict is now known as the Second Extrasolar War. During the War, the Helghast tried to invade Vekta but the invasion failed. The ISA then launched a retaliatory invasion against Helghan and assaulted the planet by establishing a beachhead at Phyrrus in bid to conquer the capital city, detain Scolar Visari, and bring a swift end to the war. During the first hours of D-Day for the second wave, the Helghast forces set up a defensive perimeter consisting of Arc Pillars. After the Arc Pillars destroyed Avenger Convoy, which was en route to Visari Palace to capture the Autarch, the ISA decided it was best not to move forward as such an action would only result in more losses. Meanwhile, Alpha Squad was sent to find the source of the Pillars' power. After finding a Petrusite Grid under the Maelstra Barrens, the ISA Fleet tried to destroy the Grid, but was beset by a surprise attack by a Helghast armada in a daring raid to obtain the Nuclear Launch codes for several ISA nuclear warheads captured by the Helghast in their failed invasion of Vekta. However, the New Sun destroyed the Petrusite Grid, deactivating almost all defenses in Pyrrhus, the capital city. Yet, the Helghast obtained the nuclear launch codes and detonated a nuclear warhead on Pyrrhus, killing all ISA and Helghast forces within the city. In a desperate effort to end the war, the remaining ISA forces launched a daring raid against Visari Palace during which they destroyed a massive Arc battery in Visari Square, fighting their way to the palace courtyard and front entrance in a relentless attack. Thereafter, ISA commandos Rico and Sev fought their way through the last of Visari's forces within Visari Palace itself, killing Colonel Radec, military leader of the Helghast troops and personal bodyguard of Scolar Visari himself. Afterwards, Rico and Sev stormed Visari's throne room to arrest him, but Visari was killed by an enraged Rico. Before he died, Visari swore that he would be seen as a martyr if he was to be killed and that "Helghan will dissolve into Chaos"; that is exactly what happened. Helghan fell into a state of civil war as different political factions rose to claim power. The remaining ISA fleet was destroyed in the process, with the remaining ISA forces were stranded on Helghan with no way of receiving any further aid, and no transportation off planet Helghan. With Visari dead, the Helghast Military and the main Helghast weapons manufacturer, Stahl Arms, began to wage a political struggle to take control of the Helghast government, while the stranded ISA troops were forced to battle for mere survival. Eventually, the political struggle for control of the Helghast government came to a climax, only made worse by successful operations conducted by the ISA remnant. In a meeting between the Helghast Military leader (and recently crowned Autarch) Orlock and Stahl Arms chairman Jorhan Stahl, a skirmish erupted between forces led by the two leaders, resulting in the death of Autarch Orlock. This plunged the Helghast race into civil war, allowing the ISA forces to destroy Stahl's experimental cruiser before he could enact his plan to eradicate all life on Earth. The resulting petrusite explosions from Stahl's cruiser destroyed a massive space station, the entire Helghast invasion fleet destined for Earth, and violently irradiated all unprotected life on the planet Helghan. With the ISA forces having escaped Helghan onboard hijacked Helghast strike fighters and currently en route home to Vekta, with at least one, or possibly two most capable successors to Visari's throne killed, and its own homeworld irrevocably devastated by energized petrusite radiation, the Helghan Empire is currently in a state of disarray or even totally destroyed. Military The Helghast peoples' lives of extreme hardship naturally make them hardened soldiers. Most of Helghan's fiscal and natural resources go towards the military, leaving little for domestic development. The Helghan military's primary tactics primarily relate to the implementation of vicious, rapidly sweeping surgical strikes reliant on the element of surprise, leaving little in the way of defense except in the direst of circumstances. However, the Second Extrasolar War has shown that the Helghast military is adept in defensive tactics as well, springing numerous traps and ambushes on unwary ISA forces. * Light Soldier - The weakest of all the Helghast enemy types, but also the fastest. They usually carry assault rifles, but sometimes they carry grenades and pistols. * Trooper -''' The most common Helghast enemy type, they are rarely found alone or even in pairs, preferring to work in larger groups. * '''Squad Leaders - These soldiers are slightly tougher than base soldiers and usually carry a chaingun or pistol. They wear gray shoulder pads and their respirators do not have air hoses attached to them. * Snipers - Helghast troopers trained to eliminate enemies from a distance. Very few of them are actually in the game. They are recognized by the red scope goggles they wear as well as camouflaged armor. As their name states, they carry sniper rifles, but switch to pistols when the player gets close. They have as much health as common soldiers. * Elite Soldiers - These start to appear about midway through the game and are typically armed with light machine guns. They are very strong and are much more resilient than base soldiers. They are often found with common soldiers. Elites do not wear helmets, but they do wear the iconic orange goggles. * Assault Soldiers - Also appearing later, these are much tougher than Elites but slow-moving due to their distinctive armor, which makes them incredibly resistant to damage. They are also considerably more difficult to kill as they sometimes carry grenade launchers and they are significantly more resistant to melee attacks and gunfire. * Heavy Troopers - Heavy Soldiers are big brutes who serve as the muscle of the Helghan Empire. They are slow but very strong and they carry chainguns. Their weak point is the gas tanks on their backs. *'Base Commanders' - These are as strong as an Elite, but are very rare and appear to help raise troop morale. Base Commanders are easily recognized by their bright red robes and lack of helmets. They commonly carry pistols. * Bodyguards - Only seen almost at the end of the game, the Bodyguards are the strongest enemy in the game. They are intelligent, seek cover when injured and look for opportunities to ambush the player. They usually are seen carrying chainguns. * Sentry Bots - These flying gun platforms attack with dual machine guns. They are not well-armored but can be hard to hit because of their lateral movement. They are encountered about halfway through the game. When they are destroyed, they explode, inflicting moderate damage to anything close by. *'Bounty Hunter' - Only appears once in the game, when Templar and his team encounter a heavily defended beacon. The Bounty Hunter (as referred to on the Vekta Today website) uses a laser designator to coordinate artillery onto the team, but is about as tough as a common soldier. *'Guard Dogs' - Only appearing in Killzone: Liberation, these dogs wear armor similar to the common Helghast soldier, even down to the iconic orange goggles and black respirator, adjusted for the dogs' physiology. Their only weapon is their razor sharp teeth. *'Spider Mines' - Spider Mines were introduced in Killzone: Liberation. These mines are robotic spiders that chase after any living thing, whether it be friend or foe, until it detonates when it gets close enough to a target. They also appear in Killzone 3. *'Supreme Trooper' - The Supreme Troopers function as support units and personal guards for General Metrac. Dressed in their experimental servo-assisted armor, and brandishing heavy VnS-10B Cerberus chainguns and pneumatic manipulator arms, they resemble nothing but a walking tank. They appear only in Killzone: Liberation. *'Air Trooper' - These soldiers make use of SL-06 prototype personal jet propulsion systems that give these troopers mobility to fly across the battlefield. Production was ordered by General Metrac himself after seeing the devices effectiveness. They appear in Killzone 3. *'Pyro Troopers' - These troopers are armed with flamethrowers and are used to remove hostiles from bunkers and trenches. They are also equipped with fire-proof suits that protect them from the flames, however, they may still be killed by explosions. *'Shock Troopers' - These troopers were chosen by General Metrac to swiftly intercept and eliminate enemies at close range. They are armed with machine pistols. *'Stahl Arms Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Trooper' - First appearing in Killzone 3, these troopers are the most common in Stahl Arms' private military. Their training, equipment and armor are superior to the regular Helghast soldiers. They use the VC5 Arc Rifle effectively - facing them directly is dangerous. *'Stahl Arms Capture Troopers' - Also appearing in Killzone 3, these elite soldiers are armed with a right arm-mounted blade. They are notable in that they are the only enemies to have an instant-kill melee animation in the game's campaign. They have greater strength, speed and endurance with light yet strong armor. These physical advantages may be due to possible drugs acting as steroids. Beliefs and traits The Helghan Empire's fascist ideals emphasize the superiority of the Helghast, a strong military, and total commitment to the Helghast government. Their ideals are symbolized by the Helghast Triad, which emphasizes duty, obedience, and loyalty. Helghan brutality is not directly shown in previous Killzone releases, but in the opening sequence of Killzone it is shown they do not hesitate to execute those who are not born up to standards or who sympathize with humanity. However, Helghan atrocities are quite prevalent during the events of Killzone 3, as surrendering ISA troops are often executed on the spot, or are told to run away while the Helghast shoot them when their backs are turned. Also, a notable example is shown when Jorhan Stahl casually shoots an ISA prisoner, causing a bound and startled Captain Narville (who was scheduled to be executed on live television) to shout "We are prisoners of war! We have rights! You have violated the Stockholm Treaty!" to which a cruelly bemused Stahl chuckles and replies "Stockholm? What planet do you think you're on?!" Furthermore, prisoners of the Helghan Empire are often tortured to death or even used as unwilling test subjects for a number of agonizingly fatal experiments, showing the sadistic habits of their soldiers and civilians. The military is above all the most prized element of the Helghan Empire. The vast majority of the Helghan Nation's resources are spent on the military and Visari's propaganda-related structures in Pyrrhus, leaving very little for the average Helghast civilian's well-being. Also, many high ranking officials in the Helghast military hold very little compassion for their own soldiers or even Helghast civilians in general, let alone any shown to the people of Vekta and anywhere else in the galaxy. The Helghast military's extensive damage inflicted towards Vekta, and the detonation of a nuke in their own capital of Pyrrhus shows their deep hatred for human life and complete disregard for collateral damage, only having a total commitment to their objectives no matter the cost. Trivia *The Helghast are based on the Kerberos Protect-Gear created by Japanese mechanical designer Yutaka Izubuchi (it's not clear whether the developers have permission from Izubuchi to use Protect-Gear as basis for the Helghast however). *Guerrilla Games have confirmed that the Helghast were inspired by many former empires and/or regimes throughout history. However, arguably the strongest influence, and the group with which the Helghast are most often linked, is the Third Reich; much of the Helghast's society, imagery, military doctrine and attire strongly evokes images of Nazi Germany. Related *Scolar Visari *Helghan *Helghan Corporation *Helghan Senate es:Imperio_Helghast pl:Imperium Helghan Category:Helghast Category:Organizations Category:Helghast Empire Category:Enemies Category:Killzone Category:Killzone 2 Category:Killzone 3